Breathing in the world's worst air.
According to Lancet 2.5million deaths occurred in India in the year 2015 due to air pollution. The worst levels of air pollution are seen in the capital Delhi, which contributes 7-8% to its GDP and habitates 46 million people. An estimated 25000 to 30000 people die of pollution related causes in Delhi-NCR. Among the 20 cities with the worst air pollution, 16 are in China and the one that shares the top spot with Delhi is Beijing, this was according to a WHO report. Besides sharing the top spot, these two cities share the reasons that their AQI is the worst in the world. The major reasons being vehicular traffic, coal-powered industrial emissions and teeming population. The economic boom in both the countries led to an unprecedented proliferation in automobiles and industry. Before I get started I’ll explain what PM10 and PM2.5 are. They are particulate matter above the diameter of 10 Microns and 2.5 Microns respectively. The readings are as per the System of Air Qualit...